This invention relates to an automatic changing apparatus for information storage devices such as compact discs, phonograph records, cassette tapes, and floppy discs. Although an apparatus in accordance with the present invention can be used with a variety of storage devices, it is particularly suitable for handling disc-shaped objects, and so for simplicity, it will be referred to as a "disc changer".
A disc changer is an apparatus which can automatically transfer an information storage device, such as a compact disc, between a storage position and a playback position in which information can be transferred to or from the information storage device. In the past, disc changers were very large devices, such as juke boxes, which were intended for installation in a single location. However, with the development of extremely lightweight compact disc players which can be easily transported, there is now a market for a lightweight, portable disc changer, and particularly for one which is extremely flat.